SLIDER

31 January, 2012

feeling blue this winter? ride a bike!

seasonal affective disorder (SAD) used to be my worst enemy, i really struggled getting out of bed, feeling unmotivated and lethargic to seize the day, until commuting by bike became the answer to my SADness. exercise in general is widely recognized as a treatment for SAD as it releases endorphins and gives us a sense of well being, but the motions of pedaling on a bicycle releases serotonin, another good feeling inducer. with the sunshine occasionally visiting and following us on our rides, we also increase our vitamin D and well being quota during these dark days. why go for the really expensive solutions when the joy can be felt on your bike?!

30 January, 2012

i'm on a roll right now on testing new green products in my household. i mean, as an environmentalist shouldn't i be sharing the great stuff some green geniuses are producing? it usually takes me a little while to find the perfect green product to stick to just because the chemistry isn't always perfected but i would rather use it than most petrol-based products. the practices of producing petrol-based products is a controversial issue and that's what led me to being more conscious about buying such green products. when i often hear the argument for oil and the necessity of using oil to produce bicycle goods and products, i feel a little hesitant to make an argument about utilizing alternative sources for the production of some petroleum based products because the science and production of such products still needs research and development. i know there are a lot of innovative engineers out their creating products that are sustainable, non-toxic, and made from plant base oils and i wanted to introduce you to one of them. meet RE:cyclist developed bySkip to Renew, a chain lube made entirely from plant and algae based oils. unlike the other chain lubricants, this oil is thicker, meaning using less lube, no spills, no toxic scents, prevents rust, and lasts longer than regular chain lube. luckily for those of us in the bay area, this product is made local and sold in quite a few local bike shops (check out their list here).

are there any non-petrol oil based products that you use in your household or on your bike?

27 January, 2012

biking has always been my favorite method of discovering a neighborhood and city. the time i used velib in paris without knowing where to go, i completely lost myself in discovering beautiful monuments, neighborhoods, shops, cafe's, and parks. not only did i discover new places but i met wonderful people. walking is usually my second mode of discovery but it's a little too slow if i intend on getting to a specific neighborhood. luckily paris is an easy city to navigate as long as i was following the Seinne river. unfortunately, American cities aren't built by European city design standards, so it's a little challenging to navigate one's adventure amongst traffic dense grid designed neighborhood and roads. when i moved to Oakland to live closer to campus, my only means of transit and exploring Oakland to Berkeley was by bike. along the way in routing my commute, i made a few pit stops to cafe's, book stores, and bike shops just to explore what was there. what i found is an amazing community of people who loved Oakland and Berkeley. these people where starting their own movements to make Oakland great by starting businesses with original and unique flares as crafters, bakers, and engineers to make Oakland stand on it's own feet. i also found that the community here is passionate about making the east bay fun, bike friendly, and sustainable in business as well as living. there's a different air to the East Bay that i never breathed in San Francisco. there are a lot of luxuries in SF that Oakland doesn't have and evidently you could tell that the community is striving to make more with less. innovation and community is key in this process. personally, aside from budgets, politics, etc, i think Oakland has a big hand in progressive ideas for raising up the city with less state intervention in a bad economy.

i have only lived in Oakland for a year now, there are still many places i have yet to visit here, but i really love riding through Oakland, there is always something innovative and exciting happening here that has made this place my favorite city to live in. the diverse and active community has to be the best aspect of this city by far. from my experience living here and connections i've created by being locally active has given me a greater drive to represent Oakland and to actively work to make this place reach it's full potential. isn't that what we all want in our cities? i can't imagine cycling hasn't effected any way we wish to see the future of the cities we call home.

25 January, 2012

finally no rain! it's been awfully cold, wet, and foggy in these parts. the sun has been poking out a few times and i'm hoping to see more of it as i am beginning to miss the sun. we still have cloudy skies and and cold rides which i usually try to make up for by wearing something that makes me happy, like yellow tights, colorful gloves, or a red scarf. for the long commute i have to school i'm usually stoked about riding through the cold because i get warm when riding like i'm in the Tour de France. but alas! i'm ready for more sun along my rides, can it just be spring already? please.

23 January, 2012

this weekend was incredibly cold, wet, and windy. not a fun combination for riding, celebrating a football game (sad loss), or hanging outside, so when in doubt to ride, i walk it. on days like these i start to miss my bike but there is nothing quite like watching a few videos about cycling that get my spirits up...

19 January, 2012

bike rides are always full of surprises on this side of the pond, such as this guerilla bike lane i found in Oakland (gotta love the artistic approach to this). there are always surprises popping up here that makes biking a lot of fun. it's the little things like this that make my experiences on the road a lot more adventurous. you never know what your going to find, you know?

18 January, 2012

I'M BACK!

sorry for the long delay of blogging but i'm here and i'm ready to roll. it's been an interesting break away from blogging as school becomes demanding, your computer crashes, and your bike wheels keeps getting stolen. i missed out on celebrating my two year blog anniversary in december, some really great happenings with other bicycle advocates and bloggers, and a couple of fun events. i hope to get this thing going again and share life on a bicycle.